Agricultural Ministers urged to get to grips with the full complexity of the food supply chain

Brussels, 14 December 2009 - The European commerce sector today urged EU Agriculture Ministers to get to grips with the complexity of the entire food supply chain, before acting on any measures aimed at boosting its overall competitiveness. Ministers are due to discuss the functioning of the food supply chain at an Agriculture Council in Brussels on 14-15 December, following a recent communication from the European Commission.

The process of bringing food from farm to fork can only be properly understood as a complex chain involving producers, manufacturers, retailers and ultimately consumers. Commerce is the last, if most visible, link in this chain.

 

"Since the food supply chain is made up of a whole set of interrelated commercial relationships, it can only be understood as a whole," said Xavier R. Durieu, Secretary General of EuroCommerce. "Any effort by Agriculture Ministers to improve the functioning of the food supply chain is doomed to failure unless based on this reality."

 

Fierce competition in the commerce sector helps to keep prices low for consumers. In turn, commerce must be able to rely on efficient, competitive and sustainable supply chains.

 

The commerce sector stressed the need to maintain basic freedom of contract in order to keep prices as low as possible. Retailers also called for a removal of territorial supply restrictions that force them to purchase from national distribution organisations, instead of negotiating the best deal across borders.

 

"Competition is the best guarantee that consumers will get the keenest prices. The price monitoring tools currently under discussion would only result in more red tape and will fail to deliver real results: prices to consumers are indeed greatly influenced by local costs and conditions, while possibilities to purchase cross-border are hampered by large manufacturers" said Xavier R. Durieu.

 

 

Xavier R. Durieu
Secretary General
T:+32 2 737 05 91
delberghe@eurocommerce.be